I'm sure you know this, but you're probably under the most stress that you'll encounter all year long — right now. Long days, short nights, not enough sleep and ready to bark at anyone at anytime.
Statistics show that you're now at the most vulnerable time for accidents that cause physical injury.
What's difficult to evaluate, though, is what that emotional side of stress can do to you and your family.
So please, indulge me as I share parts of an anonymous letter with you that might just help you rethink how to react to stressful times.
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 0.7 oz. to 17 oz.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it the heavier it becomes.”
He continues, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.”
We all get overloaded sometimes and have a hard time recognizing it. Hopefully, you can. Here are some ways to help you better deal with those burdens:
Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
Always read material that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
Have fun back in the field this spring. And remember, try to keep your burdens in perspective.
Greg Lamp
EDITOR
glamp@csdigest.com